Padfoot and his Pup
by AnabelleBlack20
Summary: Previously called: A Collection of One Shots. Here's a collection of random one shots revolving around Sirius and Harry's journey as Father and Son. Not a part of My Godfather. Can be read separately as well. These stories are a request from various readers. Enjoy!
1. The Crush

**Hi people! This is my first one-shot. I'll upload more ones. Just comment your requests!**

 **Note: this story takes place in Harry's fourth year. It doesn't stick to the book. There is no Triwizard tournament in this story. Sirius was proved innocent when Harry was eight and so he rescued his godson from his abusive relatives. Harry has been living with Sirius ever since.**

* * *

Harry sighed dejectedly as he looked at his reflection in the mirror. He truly looked scrawny. He was sure that he hadn't grown at all over the past school year. Now, he was home for the summer, about to turn fourteen in a month but he was still one of the shortest in his year.

Ron was nearly as tall as his father. Today, when he had silently measured himself next to Sirius, he had been majorly disappointed. He barely reached his dad's shoulder! The nutritional potions Sirius gave him, weren't much of a help at all.

There was no way she would want to go out with him if he looked like this.

It's not like he didn't eat enough. In fact, his father always made sure that he ate properly. He glanced at his reflection once more, sucking in his cheeks. He was skinny all over yet he managed to have puffy cheeks. A month until his fourteenth birthday and he still looked like a sodding baby.

"Harry, dinner!" The familiar voice called.

"I'm coming dad!" He hollered back. As he trudged downstairs, he made sure his face gave nothing away. He sat down at his usual seat as the house elves laid the table.

He remained silent, not making any attempt at conversations. "Oi! Sickle for your thoughts?" Harry was snapped out of his trail of thought at the question.

"It's nothing, dad. Really nothing."

It had been over three years since Harry had started calling him dad but it still made Sirius smile. "It it's got you all bothered and quiet, then I'm sure it's not 's wrong pup?"

"It's embarrassing." Harry replied, ears turning red. Sirius took in his son's words and his initial worry turned into amusement.

"You're saying this to the person who bathed you-"

"Okay dad that's-"

"Watched as you ran around the house starkers-"

"Dad, sto-"

"Changed those dirty diapers-"

"DAD!"

Sirius grinned at Harry, reaching over to ruffle the boy's hair. "Whatever it is, even if it is 'embarrassing', I promise to help you out with it. After having a good laugh of course."

Harry gave his dad a small glare, before his face broke into a genuine smile. Trust his dad to cheer him up using the weirdest of methods. He took a deep breath. He knew that if there was anyone who could help him out with this 'situation', then it was his dad. He had heard enough stories to know that his father had been (still is) immensely popular among the female population of the Wizarding world.

"Dad, how old were you when you first asked a girl out?"

Sirius watched his son, inwardly smiling. He had always known that this topic would come up one of these days. "I was about your age. Why do you ask?"

"Well, you know Ginny right?" He asked, although he knew the answer. "Ron's sister? Of course."

"Well, I used to think of her as really good friend of mine. But, well... uh... the thing is... of late... I'm starting... I'mstartingtoseeherassomeonemorethanjustafriend!"

"I didn't quite catch that kiddo. Let's try that again, slowly."

"Well... I'm... I'm starting to... see her as...as someone more than a friend." He said the last bit quickly, hoping that his dad would get it. There, he had said it. Now the man was going to laugh at him and his face would fall off due to embarrassment.

Harry needed advice and Sirius was more than capable of giving it. Even when he was at Hogwarts, he had given dating to most of his friends including James, Remus, Frank Longbottom... He would help Harry out of course but what sort of dad would he be if he didn't tease his son just a bit (a lot)?

"So Harry likes Ginny?" He pretended to comment to himself. "This is going to be so much fun. You'll be taking her out on dates, sneaking off to meet her in between lessons, you'll, I wonder what'll be the name of your first baby..."

"Dad! Your embarrassing me... again!" Harry burst out, utterly mortified.

"I'm your Dad. It's my job and responsibility to embarrass you whenever possible." Sirius quipped, enjoying every moment of it. "Come on dad! Help me out!"

"Oh alright! It's not as hard as you think, pup. All you've got to do is be polite while asking her out. Ask her to meet you outside where it's just the two of you and ask her nicely. Try not to mumble. Look her in the eye when you're talking to her. Remain confident."

"But what if she says no?"

"Trust me, she won't."

"But if she does?"

"Then I'll be waiting with a jar of double chocolate chip cookies and a tub of chocolate ice cream." (Chocolate= Harry's comfort food)

Harry was silent for a moment. The advice was pretty good and didn't sound very hard. He could do this. "Okay." He affirmed with a smile.

The smile quickly fell though as another thought entered his mind. "What is it?" Sirius asked, giving him that smile reserved only for him. "She's Ron's sister, dad. Ron's my best friend so I don't want to put our friendship at stake."

"Talk to Ron about how you feel and see what he has to say. He'd your best mate. He knows you're a good person. He'll definitely understand."

"You think so?"

"Absolutely."

"So when can I ask her?" Harry inquired, feeling nervous. "Well, you'll be going over to the Burrow this weekend, right? So, you can ask her then. Trust me, it'll be great."

"Thanks dad."

* * *

Three days later:

"Yes! She said yes!" Harry shouted for the hundredth time as he danced around the living room of his house. "See, I told you it would all go perfectly."

"Honestly dad, you are brilliant. Absolutely brilliant." Sirius felt his chest swell with pride at that. Harry said those words quite often.

"What did Ron say?"

"He was totally okay with it. Although he did threaten to set the twins on me if I did anything to hurt her."

Sirius chuckled at that. "I'm sure he did." He pulled his son into a hug that was returned with such fervour that he was pretty certain he heard a rib crack. He pulled away after kissing the boy's forehead.

"Off to bed now." He ordered with mock sternness. "Big day tomorrow, first date and all."

"Yeah, it's gonna be exciting." Once Harry was in bed, Sirius was about to leave the room when he paused, a mischievous grin on his handsome face."

"Hmm, by the way I forgot to ask, have you decided the name of your first child?"

"DAD!"

* * *

 **Okay so that's the first story. Hope you'll loved it. Please read and review. If you'll want any more one shots, just comment** **and I'll be more than happy to oblige."**

 **Love you all!**


	2. Christmas

Harry stuck his tongue out in concentration as he used the crayon to complete his picture. It was about five in the morning and although he had gone to bed at ten last night, the seven year old was feeling rather sleepy. He had gotten up early so that he could complete his gift for Sirius.

Once he was done, he carefully arranged all the crayons in their packet and put them away along with his _new_ books and _new_ clothes inside his _new_ wardrobe. That's right. As of today, Harry Potter was the proud owner of several new possessions that had been given to him by his godfather, right after he had been rescued from his Uncle's house, nearly a month ago. Although he still was a tiny bit afraid of his godfather, he liked it here. Very much. Sirius did all the things he had seen other daddies do for their kids. He bathed him, hugged him, kissed him goodnight, told him stories and above all, told Harry that he loved him. So, he thought of the man as his daddy. He hoped that such a thought didn't make him bad.

He plodded across to Sirius's room before hesitating. The door was slightly ajar. Harry gathered up some courage and quietly pushed the door open. He had seen Dudley go to his parents' room several times to sleep next to them but Harry had never been allowed. He knew that it felt good because his cousin always seemed to be in a better mood on those days and he wasn't beaten that much.

But here, that rule didn't apply. In fact, none of those rules were valid here. Sirius had told him that he was always welcome in his room. So, with that thought in mind, he padded into the room, the thick carpet felt warm, and cosy under his feet. After taking a determined breath, he clambered up the bed and plonked himself down on the mattress.

As quietly as he could, so as to not wake Sirius, he lay down on the bed, resting his head against the soft pillows. After a minute he decided to test the waters, he snuggled closer to his godfather, one small hand reaching out to grasp the front of his shirt. Within seconds, he felt a strong arm wrap around his waist, gently tugging him closer.

Sirius felt the mattress dip ever so slightly under the addition of the small weight. He felt Harry lie next to him and inwardly smiling at the display of trust, he looped an arm around the small form, pulling him towards him.

He opened his eyes to find large, green ones staring at him innocently. He smiled reassuringly at his godson before running his hand through the wild, black mop. "Slept well pup?" Harry nodded back. "How come you're up so early?" Sirius asked, knowing that the boy usually woke up at around eight o' clock everyday. Harry didn't reply, instead he gave Sirius that adorable wide eyed look.

"Hungry?" Sirius asked but he knew the answer. His godson said yes and so, he pushed himself up and flexed his arms before getting off the bed. He scooped the boy into his arms and set him down. "Why don't you go ask Becky to make some of those train shaped waffles for you. She'll be all too happy to do it, pup. She likes you."

"She does?" Came the surprised question. "Of course she does." Replied Sirius. He found it impossible to think about how anyone could dislike such an innocent child. Once Harry had gone downstairs, Sirius headed to the bathroom for a shower.

Twenty minutes later, he found Harry sitting at the dining table with a plate of waffles in front of him with maple syrup smeared all over his face. Chuckling at the sight, he ruffled his godson's hair before sitting down for breakfast.

"After you're done with breakfast, we'll decorate the Christmas tree." Sirius said.

Harry's eyes widened with surprise and joy. "I can really help?" He asked incredulously. "Of course. I need your help pup. Christmas wouldn't be Christmas if we didn't celebrate it together." He replied, quelling his anger at his godson's bloody relatives. They didn't deserve to be alive.

* * *

"Sirius, where do I put this?" Harry questioned, holding up a red bobble. "You can hang it up anywhere you like. You choose, pup." Sirius answered and with happiness shine in his emerald eyes, he hung the decoration up. After that, Sirius hoisted his godson onto his shoulders so that Harry could hang up the star.

Once the christmas tree had been decorated with the lights shining nice and bright, Harry grinned proudly at his first tree. "Its wonderful, Sirius." He said. "It is, isn't it? Now all we need to do is get to bed and wait for Christmas morning." Sirius commented.

"Come on, lets get you into your favourite snitch pyjamas and then I'll read you a story." Sirius offered and Harry responded with a toothy grin.

His godfather crouched down in front of him and held out his arms. Harry wasted absolutely no time in bounding over and wrapping his arms around Sirius's neck. This was one of the things he loved the most. Sirius's hugs were the best. He had seen Aunt Marge and Petunia hug Dudley many a time but this was different. It wasn't smothering nor was it weak. He felt one hand carding through his hair while the other was wrapped securely around his middle. It was warm, comforting and perfect.

Harry was lifted off the floor and carried up the stairs and right into his room. Sirius helped him into his nightclothes and handed him his black stuffed dog. The man picked up 'Tales of Beedle the Bard' and leaned against the headboard. Harry climbed into Sirius's lap and rested his head on his godfather's chest.

"The Wizard and the Hopping Pot: There was once a kindly old wizard who used his magic... begin to hop once more." Sirius closed the book and looked down at the black haired child who was curled up, nearly on him. With a fond smile, he gently lifted Harry off his lap and onto the bed. He drew the thick comforter up to the boy's chin and kissed the scarred forehead before walking out of the room.

* * *

The next morning, Harry opened his eyes and yanked the bedcovers off himself, his small body practically bubbling with excitement. It was Christmas! He could finally give Sirius his present. He had made worked very, very hard on it and last night, while listening to the story, he had prayed that his godfather would like his gift.

He was about to go outside when the door opened and Sirius came in, grinning widely. "Merry Christmas puppy mine." He quipped, bending down and giving Harry a squeeze, pulling him off his bed.

"Merry Christmas, Sirius." Harry returned the hug with equal enthusiasm. This was so good!

"Hungry?" The man asked, looking down affectionately at his charge. When he received a vigorous nod, he laughed slightly.

"Great. We'll eat a Christmas breakfast right after we've finished with something really important."

What could that be? When they went downstairs, Harry had trouble keeping his jaw off the floor. The Christmas tree had looked splendid yesterday but that morning, it looked beautiful. That wasn't even the best part. Under the tree was the largest pile of presents he had ever seen. Brightly coloured parcels wrapped with different ribbons and strings.

Sirius pushed him lightly in the direction of the tree and Harry walked forward, still doubtful about who they were for. He sat down at the bottom of the tree and picked up one present and looked at the label. His own name stared back at him. "Mine?" He barely whispered but awe in his voice was evident.

Sirius who had come to sit behind him, gently pulled the boy into his lap. "Of course, little one. You're the only Harry here right? Go on, open it."

With fingers trembling with excitement, ever so slowly, Harry undid one corner of the wrapping paper. He did the same with the other side, taking care to not tear the wrapper even one bit. A board game fell into his lap. He gasped slightly when he saw which one it was. When they'd gone out the other day, he had seen it in the window in one of the shops in Diagon Alley. It had looked really colourful and interesting. He'd been too shy to ask for it but Sirius had noticed him looking at it longingly and so, here it was now.

"Why don't you open the others as well?"

So, once again, he reached out and picked up another gift. His eyes widened when he saw that his name was in the label again. That's how it continued for over the next hour. Harry would pick up a present and open it almost reverently, breakfast long forgotten.

By the time he was finished, he had an entire new collection of books, plush toys, board games and clothes. One or two of them were from Remus and the rest were from Sirius. As he sat, looking at all his gifts, he blinked back tears of and sniffled. All this was just so amazing.

"Thank you." He mumbled for what seems like the hundredth time. "You're welcome, pup. But, you haven't opened the best one yet." Sirius replied.

Large green eyes looked up at him with awe. Smiling, he stood up, setting Harry back onto the floor. "You wait right here, pup and I'll be back."

Leaving a very puzzled child behind, Sirius raced upstairs and into his room. He retrieved the package from his wardrobe and hurried back downstairs.

He knelt down in front of the boy and held out his biggest present. Harry's eyes widened to the size of saucers when he saw the package. It was long and wrapped in a brown paper. It could only hold one thing. He undid the packaging slowly, savouring every moment and there it was: his own broomstick.

It was a child's model but it could still go up to three meters off the ground. "Mine?"

"Yes pup, yours. We'll eat breakfast and I'll give you a hot bath and then I'll teach you how to fly." Sirius promised. It was all too much for Harry. He all but threw himself against Sirius, tears streaming down his cheeks. "Thank you so much Sirius." His words were a bit muffled, his face buried in Sirius's robes.

Sirius blinked back his own tears of joy and hugged his boy tightly, stroking the messy black locks. "I love you kiddo." He said.

* * *

"There. All done." Sirius remarked as he zipped up Harry's coat. "Go fetch your gloves and we're ready to go."

The boy obediently did as he was told and when he opened his closet, his eyes landed on his gift sticking out from underneath the clothes. He bit his lip and pulled it out. His present was nothing compared to all that Sirius had given him. He'd never be able to match up to that. But he had put in a lot of effort to make it look nice. So maybe Sirius would like it. Harry hoped with all his might that Sirius would like it.

He gathered up courage and went up to his godfather. "S-Sirius, I made this for you." He said and offered the card that he had made. Sirius's breath hitched and he bent down and took the proffered card. Harry watched with bated breath as the Animagus opened the envelope and pulled out the card.

There was a big 'Happy Christmas' written on the front along with a Christmas tree. Harry had used different colours for the decorations to make everything as colourful as possible. Inside was a drawing of Sirius and himself. He had drawn his godfather hugging him and smiling widely. Underneath the drawing, he had written the words with a large font: SIRIUS AND PUP. That's what Sirius always called him. Pup. He loved that name. He had tried to make the drawing as neat as possible but he wasn't all that sure that it was very good.

"Sirius, d-do you... do you like it?" He asked timidly. No answer. After a minute he tried again. "It's not much b-but-"

Sirius gathered the boy into his arms and held him close. "I loved it pup. It is truly wonderful." The man answered, easing his godson's nervousness. He was awarded with a toothy grin at that statement.

"Thank you. It was one of the best gifts I've ever received." He assured the boy. Now Harry didn't think it was that good but Sirius had liked his gift and that was all that mattered.

Sirius was touched by the card. The thought that Harry had made it for him was lovely. He really did have a heart of gold. He set the card down on his nightstand and smiled down at his pup.

"Time to go flying."

Harry was a brilliant flyer, better than James, Sirius observed. It had taken him a mere ten minutes to get Harry accustomed to the basics. He was a natural.

Harry for his part was having the time of his life. His godfather had taught him how to fly and it was so much fun. This was the first Christmas of his life where he wasn't beaten, bruised and hungry, locked up in his cupboard as the Dursleys opened presents, ate Christmas food and did all sorts of nice things. On every Christmas night for over the past few years, he had always cried himself to sleep, desperately wishing for someone to take him away from his horrid relatives. Now he had someone.

Someone who made him feel loved and cherished. Like any other boy of his age, he was also celebrating this year, with his... family. He couldn't have been happier.

After flying for another ten minutes, the two of them dismounted. They made a snowman together and several snow angels. "Did you enjoy yourself, little one?" Sirius inquired, a smile playing on his lips.

"Yes, it was great." The boy replied enthusiastically.

As the two of them sat by the fire drinking hot chocolate and eating marshmallows in a comfortable silence, Harry decided that his life was just perfect. Most children were given books and toys for Christmas but he had been give something (someone rather), far more precious.

He had been given a daddy.


	3. The Park

**This idea was given to me by lojosmom. Thanks for the suggestion, it was real good. Hope you like it.**

 **Before you'll start reading, there may be a few mistakes regarding the locations and names of places in this story. I've never actually been to London before so whatever I found is purely from google.**

 **Other than that, I'd be really grateful if you'll could go and check out my other story: My Godfather. Please, pretty please?**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"Daddy, stop!" Harry shrieked with delight, in between his giggles as Sirius's fingers attacked his ribs. His daddy had currently turned into the tickle monster and wouldn't let him go. Now, it was actually he who had started the battle but that didn't matter right now.

"Hmm, no I don't think so." Th man replied, pure mirth colouring his words. "You were the one who decided to attack me in the first place, pup. I think it's only right if I exact my revenge." Sirius quipped but he let Harry go.

Sirius looked at his six year old who was currently clutching his stomach to control his fit of uncontrollable giggles and smiled fondly at him. He thought back to the scared, terrified and bruised child he had rescued from his Muggle relatives a year ago. If he had been angry when the rat had betrayed his best friend, he was twice as furious when he had found out about what the muggles had done to his pup.

There had been a trial and the outcome had been in his favour (obviously). Vernon had been proved guilty of child abuse while his wife was accused of assisting her husband in said abuse. Both of them had been sentenced to muggle prison for thirty years while their son was sent to foster care.

After that, he had worked day and night to get Harry out of his shell and needless to say, his hard work had paid off.

"Daddy, can we go out somewhere tomorrow?" Harry asked suddenly, giving Sirius those adorable puppy eyes. Sirius mentally smirked. He had taught Harry that look and now his son wanted to use it against him?

"Sure we can." He replied. "Where do you want to go?"

Harry bit his lip, considering the options that were available. He didn't want to go to Florean Fortescue's ice cream. He'd already been there far too many times. Neither did he want to visit the Quidditch store. He was too little to be able to buy any of the brooms over there.

There was this one place that he wanted to go to. When he used to live with his Aunt and Uncle, they used to take Dudley to this park. It wasn't any ordinary park. It was filled with all sorts of fun rides like the carousel with different animals, the train that took you all around the park and the scariest of them all: the rollercoaster. There were also candy stores which sold several kinds of chocolates, pepper mints, lollipops and what not.

Now, he'd never actually been there before but his cousin had described it in great detail, not to make sure that he got an idea of what the place was like but to taunt him. To make him realise that he was a freak who didn't deserve to go anywhere. But his daddy wasn't like that. Sirius was kind, loving and fun.

Maybe now, that he lived with his new daddy, he could finally go. "Well... there is this big park where Uncle Vernon would take Dudley for his birthday. I had told you about it. Remember daddy? C-Could we go there please?"

Sirius racked his brains for a minute, trying to remember the location of this particular park. He knew what Harry was referring to. The boy had mentioned it previously, once or twice. It was an amusement park, located bang in the middle of the city. As far as he could remember, it was called 'Thorpe Park' or something like that.

"Of course. I'd love to take you there."

Harry broke into a wide grin and jumped into Sirius's arms, hugging the man with all his might. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"

"Your welcome kiddo."

* * *

As the two of them ate lunch, a small golden puppy came bounding into the dining room. That was Cooper. He was a two month old golden retriever. Sirius had gifted him to Harry for his birthday, last month. Harry had been absolutely thrilled when he had received said gift. He had thanked Sirius at least a million times before cradling the tiny pup against his chest. The two of them had become inseparable. Cooper was Harry's first friend. It liked Sirius as much as it liked Harry and sometimes, the little thing followed the man around the house.

The puppy let out a small bark, as if he wanted to be picked up. Smiling indulgently, Sirius picked the animal up and placed it on the table. The pup eagerly scampered over to Harry and gave the boy one good lick on his cheek.

"Tell you what, if you eat quickly, you and Cooper can go outside on the grounds and play for a while." That one sentence was enough to make Harry gulp down his lunch at nearly an inhuman speed.

* * *

The next morning, after breakfast, Sirius and Harry were ready to leave. They dropped Cooper off at Remus's before starting off. On Harry's insistence, they traveled the muggle way. Along with his precious motorbike, Sirius also owned a collection of cars. He pulled out his Lamborghini and nicely buckled Harry up in the passenger seat after which, the two of them drove off.

Harry was dressed in a red t-shirt and a pair of black shorts while Sirius had opted for a navy blue polo t-shirt and khaki trousers.

Along their way, Harry chattered away enthusiastically, telling Sirius about all the rides and what he would do when they first arrived. "Daddy, can we go on the roller coaster? Oh and I really want to sit in the Carousel. After that, can we..." Shaking his head at his son's energy, Sirius reached over and ruffled his boy's hair. "We'll try everything out, pup."

They arrived in about an hour. Sirius parked his car and led Harry to the ticket counter. They paid for their tickets and Sirius gave the lady a charming smile, thanking her for the tickets. She positively swooned.

"Now, remember what I told you Harry. Stay close and don't let go of my hand. You are not to wander off on your own." Sirius instructed as he took hold of the boy's small hand. The place was very crowded, owing to the weekend. Harry nodded earnestly, tightening his own grip on his father's hand.

According to Harry's schedule, they first rode the roller coaster. It was called the Colossus and was huge. Due to Harry's age and short stature, he wasn't allowed on some of the bigger rides so they had to drop those ones. Throughout the ride, Harry clutched Sirius's hand tightly. The boy screamed with delight, along with the others as they went around the loop. "So, how was that?" Sirius asked, once they'd finished the ride. "It was brilliant. Totally brilliant." Harry replied, his cheeks flushed from the cool air and his hair messier than ever. They explored the park a little and tried out quite a few rides including the carousel, something the boy had been very eager about.

They ate lunch at Inferno's Pizza and Pasta after which Sirius bought Harry a chocolate marshmallow ice cream and the six year old's eyes widened at its size. Sirius chose a butter pecan flavour.

Once done with their ice creams, father and son headed over to the Water Park. They'd brought along their swimming trunks so that they could enjoy all the water rides as well. Sirius changed into his trunks and the helped Harry wear his.

They'd brought along a beach ball with them. Harry was able to get to know a few other kids who had come along with their parents and so all of them played together.

Harry also played on the water slides for a while while his daddy was at the bottom of it, to catch him. Feeling rather mischievous, Harry thrust his hand into the water and splashed some of the water on Sirius. The man grinned at his son. "Let the battle begin puppy mine." Sirius quipped and reached out to douse his boy. So, that's how it continued for the next twenty minutes.

The two of them engaged in a fierce (haha) water fight. Each trying to drench the other. At the end of the battle, both of them were thoroughly soaked from head to toe. "So pup, do you surrender?" Sirius asked as he sent another splash towards his son and lightly poked him in the tummy. "No daddy!" Harry laughed although he was too busy laughing to retaliate. Both of them were drawing several looks of admiration from the people around them.

Finally, after what seemed like ages, they ended their little 'battle' and Sirius pulled the child into his arms, lightly kissing the messy black hair. They played on the slides for a little while more after which they explored the water rides.

Ultimately, both of them were tired and exhausted and clambered out of the pool, ready to take a shower, change and head home. They headed to the changing room where Sirius handed Harry his clothes and asked him to get dressed.

It was nearly closing hours by time they were all set to go home. As they walked to the car, he heard the tired boy yawn slightly. Smiling, he scooped up the green eyed child and sat him on his shoulders. Although sleepy, the boy talked nineteen to the dozen about how much he had enjoyed the day.

Harry lightly tapped his knuckles on Sirius's head In a rhythmic pattern. "Puppy..." Sirius playfully warned him. "Daddy..." the child mimicked his tone. "Now Harry, if you don't stop that, the tickle monster will come back."

The tapping ceased immediately.

The two of them drove home and on the way, they picked Cooper up. Harry felt too lazy to do anything so with the puppy resting in his lap, he was perfectly alright with his daddy feeding him dinner. Just this _one_ night though. He was a big boy after all!

"If you want, you can go play with Ron tomorrow." Sirius suggested, as he crouched down to change Harry into his pyjamas. Said boy sleepily nodded against Sirius's shoulder.

"Sleep now kiddo." Sirius was about to set Harry down on his bed when his pup wrapped his arms around his neck. "With you." He mumbled sleepily.

Grinning fondly at his sleepy son, Sirius carried him to his own bedroom. He pulled the comforter over both of them, kissing Harry's forehead and gathering the boy in his protective embrace. Within moments, both of them were out like a light.

* * *

 **So, how was it? I'll upload the next one when I get an idea. If anyone has any suggestions, please feel free to leave a review. R &R!**

 **I plan to update as frequently as possible, everytime I get a request or an idea. Like I had previously mentioned, this story of mine was accidentally deleted but I'll upload them along with new ones.**

 **Keep reading!**


	4. Be Like You

Sirius cracked an eye open and looked at the clock. It was nearly nine in the morning. Surprised, he pushed himself up, running a hand through his hair. He couldn't remember the last time he'd slept so well. Sirius had a hunch that his sound sleep was because of the six year old child in the adjoining room. Ever since Harry has started living with him about six months ago, he was more at ease. The boy was under his protection and safe. He'd make sure no harm ever came to his beloved godson.

Smiling, he got out of bed and got ready. He came downstairs and saw Harry already awake and dressed. "Good morning, little one." He said. Normally, Harry would respond by jumping up to hug his godfather but on that particular morning, he didn't. "Good morning, Sirius." He said in a tone much like Sirius', going as far as to mimic the man's deep voice as best as he could.

Unable to contain his amusement, Sirius let out a chuckle before picking Harry up. He kissed the boy's forehead and set him down in his usual seat. "I need to get to work in an hour or so. Would you like to go to Ron's or Remus'?"

Sirius didn't work often. He didn't need to. He had enough money for the next eighty two generations but he did because he liked to and the Ministry needed Aurors. He was currently one of the highest ranking Aurors in the department. He only worked thrice a week though, opting to spend time with his godson instead.

Harry inclined his chin like Sirius often did and stroked his imaginary beard. Remus was really nice but he didn't let Harry eat more than four chocolate cookies. He said it made him too active. "Ron's house." He confirmed. "Great. Finish your pancakes and then I'll take you to Ron's."

* * *

Harry curled up further, clutching his stuffed dog closer to his chest. He hated thunderstorms more than anything else. Another loud boom echoed through the walls of his room and he whimpered. This was the first thunderstorm since his time with Sirius. Back at his Uncle's place he was always locked in his cupboard and ended up crying the whole night, desperate for someone to take him away.

He wanted to go to Sirius and cuddle up with him. He always felt safe with his godfather. Sirius hugged him, held him, told him stories and loved him. _Just like a daddy_. But he was reluctant to go. Sirius was so strong and he was never scared of anything. He wanted to be like him: brave, kind, smart and strong.

When a particularly loud boom rattled off his windows, he couldn't take it anymore. Quick as a flash, he threw his blanket off and ran out of his room and into Sirius'.

He climbed into his godfather's bed and snuggled close to the man. He felt better almost immediately.

Sirius awoke when he heard his room door being thrown open and seconds later, he felt the weight of a small body against his chest. He heard the roar of thunder and instantly understood the whole situation. He felt Harry shake against him. "Ssh kiddo. You're alright. I've got you." Sirius wrapped his arms around the small form, marvelling at how tiny Harry felt in his arms. It didn't feel like he was holding a six year old. In fact, the boy was so light that he could've passed for four years or so. It felt like he was cradling a pup. _His pup._

"Pup?" Harry's head shot up. "It's okay. It's just a storm. It'll pass soon." Sirius consoled him. "I'm s-scared." Harry whispered against him, feeling very small. "It's okay to be scared, little one. Everyone is afraid of something or the other ."

"No they're not." You're not. "Yes they are kiddo." Sirius confirmed. "Even you?" Ah. So that's what this was about. "Yes pup. Even me." Large green eyes stared at him innocently. Harry found it hard to believe that Sirius could be afraid of anything. "What are you afraid of?"

"I'm afraid of watching you get hurt. I don't want to see you sad. Ever." Harry absorbed what Sirius had said. Sirius didn't want him to be hurt. Instinctively, he leaned up and kissed his godfather's cheek. "Don't worry Sirius. Don't be scared. I'll be extra careful when I ride my broom. Then I won't get hurt and you won't have to be sad or scared." Sirius smiled dryly. If only that's all he had to worry about. "Yes. You be extra careful."

"Are you afraid of anything else?" Harry asked. Sirius pretended to think. "I'm afraid that if we don't go to bed now, the tickle monster will come and gobble us up." said Sirius, gently poking Harry's tummy. Giggling, Harry curled up with his godfather and fell asleep. The thunder didn't scare him anymore. He was safe, with Sirius.

Harry decided that he wanted to be just like Sirius.

* * *

The house was unusually quiet the next day. Harry had gone upstairs after lunch and there hadn't been a single sound from the boy's room. Feeling curious, Sirius made his way to his ward's room, only to find it empty.

He heard something fall in his room. Frowning slightly, he went inside and was greeted by the most adorable sight on the planet. Harry Potter, his six year old godson was dressed in _his_ clothes. The navy blue robes were far, far too big for Harry, the boy didn't know how to wear a tie so he'd simply slung the red tie around his neck. Sirius' shirt trailed along the floor as Harry walked, along with the robes. He trousers were so lose that Harry had tied another one of Sirius' ties just to hold them in place. He'd even slipped into his godfather's black shoes which were so big that he had to drag his feet to keep them from coming off.

Unable to contain himself, Sirius burst out laughing. This was truly the cutest thing ever.

Harry turned when he heard the laugh. He smiled sheepishly at Sirius. Shanking his head at his godson's antics, the man crouched down to Harry's eye level. "And who might you be, young sir?" Sirius asked in an overly formal voice.

"This is senior Auror Black." Harry had heard Sirius say that many times when he'd come to meet his godfather at work. The imitation of the deep voice was too much for Sirius. He burst out laughing. "Well sir, I've been looking all over for my godson Harry Potter but I can't see, to find him. Do you know where he is?" Sirius asked, trying to suppress his laughter as he played along with his boy.

Putting on an extremely serious expression, Harry spoke: "I'm afraid Harry is very busy right now. Would you like me to convey a message?"

"Well, I was wondering if he would be willing to accompany me to Florean Fortescue's. They've launched this new flavour of ice cream. I had told Harry I'll take him there but if he's busy, that's al-"

"No, I'm not busy! I want to go with you to eat ice cream." Harry said, laughing. This time, he spoke in his own voice. Sirius gasped, pretending to recognise Harry. "Why Harry, its you! I thought I was speaking with Auror Black."

"No, that was me. Can we pleeease go and get some ice cream now, Sirius?" Harry asked. Those emerald eyes stared at him with such innocence that Sirius was pretty sure he'd never be able to refuse the boy anything. "Are you sure you're not busy?"

"Yes, I'm sure! Pleease?"

Laughing, Sirius scooped the little boy into his arms. "Alright then. Let's get you into some 'Harry' clothes and then we can be off." Sirius changed Harry into a pair of blue shorts and a white t-shirt.

* * *

"This is so yummy!" Harry exclaimed with delight for the fourth time as he dug his spoon into his enormous sundae.

"I'm glad you liked it, pup." Sirius said. The boy's happiness was contagious and soon the man was also grinning from ear to ear. "Tell me pup, whatever made you dress up in my clothes?"

"I wanted to be like you." Harry stated simply. Sirius was taken by surprise before he felt a rush of affection for the child sitting in front of him.

"Tell you what, when you grow up, you can be someone better than me." Said Sirius. "Really? Who?" Disbelief coloured his voice because, for little Harry there could be no one better than his godfather. "Of course."

"Who will I be?" The child asked. "You'll be you."

"But I want to be just like you." The child's mind was made up. When he grew up, he wanted to be just like his godfather, his hero and his most favourite person in the whole world.

* * *

 **This particular idea had been going on in my head for quite some days so I decided to write it. I thought it would be very normal. Like any other son, Harry idolises his father. In this story, Sirius is that father. How was it?**


	5. Furry Little Problem

**Marauder Era. I'm sure the title gives away the plot of this story. I know it's been done before but I wanted to write it.**

* * *

"Sirius, mate! Help me out or I'll die!" Rolling his eyes at his best friend's antics, Sirius closed the magazine he had been thumbing through and looked up. "Who was it this time, Prongs?"

James sighed exaggeratedly and pretended to wipe a tear from his eye. "Well, there I was, in the Great Hall, talking to Evans. Wanted to ask her out you know and then old Minne storms in, screaming my name. Apparently she wasn't too pleased about the stink sap in her quill. She figured out it was me. Gave me detention for this Saturday."

Throwing his head back, Sirius let out a bark like laugh. Sirius, James and their classmates had returned for their fifth year at Hogwarts. Sirius hadn't been able to come back on the first of September since his father had passed away and so he had to fill in as the Black Lord. James had been bored without his best friend so he'd decided to go pranking by himself.

"Seriously James? You got caught? I must say, you're losing your touch." Sirius commenting and ducked as a pillow sailed past his head. "Haha. That's really funny. Now, stop being annoying and help me out." Said James looking very put out. "It's a Hogsmeade weekend and the last thing I want is to scrub cauldrons when everyone else is out."

From amongst the four friends, Sirius was the one with the sly tongue. He'd talked Professors into cancelling their detentions quite a few times. He gave James his trademark smirk. "Say the magic words, James and I'll do it."

James groaned and buried his head into a pillow and mumbled something. "Say what mate? Didn't quite catch that." Sirius said. James lifted his head and gave Sirius a playful glare. "Sirius Black is the best prankster to ever roam this planet."

"There now. That wasn't so hard, was it? Now listen closely."

The two of them found Mcgonagall in her office, grading papers. James knocked twice in quick succession after which they heard a curt 'come in'. "Minnie, how have you been? It's been too long, hasn't it?" Said Sirius, holding up his hand for a high five. Professor Mcgonagall was unamused. "Mr. Black, firstly, please do not call me that. Secondly, I saw you only this afternoon. You were late for class, if I'm not mistaken." She said, giving him a disapproving look. She'd already docked five points back then. "Oh well Professor, it wasn't entirely my fault. Nicole and I were just talking and the next thing I know is that we're both inside the broom cupboard snoggi-"

"Mr. Black! I don't need to know the... details regarding your time with Miss Clarkson." Said Mcgonagall, looking extremely uneasy. Sirius simply gave her an innocent look. "Why are you both here, may I ask?"

"Well, we just had certain doubts in context to Transfiguration." Said James. The professor first looked at James and then Sirius. The latter was a natural at Transfiguration (not that she'd ever admit it) so it was highly doubtful that he had any difficulties. Nevertheless, as a professor she needed to make sure students understood what was taught.

"What are your difficulties?"

"Can we use the _Ducklifors_ jinx to transfigure your opponent into a swan instead of a duck?" Asked James, trying to contain his grin.

"No, Mr. Potter."

"If we say the human to bone spell backwards, can we turn a bone into a human?"

"No."

"Can we use _Scribblifors_ to magically scribble on parchments?"

"No."

"Is it possible to..."

 _Fifteen minutes and a hundred questions later:_

"Does James have to attend your detention on Saturday?"

"No."

"Why thank you Professor! You're a real brick!" James exclaimed, barely suppressing his laughter.

Only then did Mcgonagall realise how the two of them had tricked her. "I could always reassign detention, Potter." She said.

"No you can't Professor. According to the teacher's handbook, a detention once revoked cannot be enforced." Said Sirius smugly. "The two of you tricked me and for that, I can have you _both_ in detention." Said Mcgonagall. "In our defence, Minnie, we just asked you simple questions that you answered. That cannot be classified as trickery." Said Sirius. "Mr. Potter you have-"

"Come on James, let's let Minnie go back to correcting answers. We've taken up enough time already. So sorry to bother you Professor. We'll see you in classes!" Said Sirius, grabbing James' arm and dragging him out. "Now listen here, Mr. Bl-"

But the two of them were already out of the door. She was angry for a minute before her face broke into a small smile and she shook her head fondly. This was probably the hundredth time that the two troublemakers had gotten the better of her. _Where did they find the teacher's handbook?_

* * *

"You'll actually did that?" Remus asked, laughing so hard that tears were rolling down his face. James nodded triumphantly as they dictated their little incident to Remus and Peter. "You should've seen the look on her face Remus! It was priceless!"

"So, now that James doesn't have detention, we can go to Zonko's this Saturday, stock up and get this place going!" Said Sirius. Remus' smile faded at that. "This Saturday? I don't think I can come with you'll."

"Why not?" Asked Peter. "My Aunt Lillian is not well. She's really ill so I have to go and see her." He said, looking downcast. "Oh ok." Peter replied.

Sirius and James exchanged suspicious glances. Something was definitely not really got here. James clearly remembered that Remus had said the exact same thing about an Aunt Lillian a few months ago. He looked at Sirius who seemed to be thinking along similar lines. Later. His best friend mouthed the word to him.

That night, once the rest of the students in the dorm were asleep, the two of them sneaked downstairs to the common room. "James, I'm willing to bet that this Aunt Lillian already died a few months ago." Said Sirius. "If I'm not mistaken, he said something very similar about his mother." James noted. "And last year, there was this Uncle Albert who died at least three times."

"Do you think he's hiding something? I mean if you observe carefully, he goes away every month." Said James. Sirius remained silent for a minute before his eyes widened. "Of course! How didn't we think of this before?"

"Think of what?"

"He comes up with some reason or the other to leave every single month and it's not because his relatives! It's because him." Sirius exclaimed. "So you're saying Remus falls sick every month? That's ridiculous." James said.

"No, idiot! Think about it. Which creature have we learned about in Defence Against the Dark Arts that transforms every month, every full moon to be precise?"

James finally caught on." No bloody way. That means he's a werewolf! No wonder he looks so exhausted every time he comes back." He exclaimed. "Exactly. He doesn't go and visit his sick relatives. I'm guessing he hides somewhere out in the grounds in his wolf form and waits for the night to pass."

"Why didn't he say anything?" Asked James. "Because, he's afraid we'll hate him. Werewolves aren't accepted by wizards you know. They're treated really horribly so most of them are in hiding." Sirius explained, his mind recalling the time his father had tortured a werewolf and forced him to turn Dark. Sirius had only been seven back then but he still remembered the details.

"That's not bloody fair! How can you hate someone for something that's not even their fault!" James crossed his arms, looking angry. "Well, the whole world doesn't agree with our ideology. We can't change their thinking. What we can do is talk to Remus about it. We can convince him that it doesn't matter who or what he is. We don't care that he's a werewolf." Sirius asserted.

"We'll talk to him tomorrow, after lessons."

* * *

"Hey Remus, you up for dungbombs in Filch's office tonight?" Asked James, as he caught up with his friend who was going back to the dorm. "No, I can't. I have to study. We have our O. coming up this year so would it kill you to take your studies just a little more seriously?" Said Remus. "Oh Rem, you're killing the mood. I already know everything up to the NEWT level. My horrible summer vacations make certain of that." Said Sirius, coming in from the other side.

"What do you two want now?" Asked Remus, pretending to be annoyed. He was sure that whatever they had in mind, he'd be dragged into it as well. They were his best friends after all. "We can go to the dorm and plan." Sirius suggested, already leading the way.

Once inside, James closed the door, discreetly locking it with his wand. Remus, who was completely oblivious to this, plonked down on his bed and stared at the other two expectantly. "Well?"

"We know." James stated. "Know what?" Asked Remus, looking confused. "We know where you go every month, Remus. You don't have to hide or pretend anymore. We know you're a werewolf and we don't care." Said Sirius. At that moment, for Remus, it seemed as though the world had stopped. They knew. His two best friends knew that he was a monster. He was glad Peter wasn't here at the moment. He'd gone home that very morning for some reason. One less person who knew about his 'condition'. They'd hate him now. He couldn't stay at Hogwarts. He had to leave as soon as possible. He knew what happened to werewolves if they were caught. Tears welled up in his eyes and before he could stop it, they began to flow.

"L-Look, I never hurt anyone, I promise. Please don't tell anybody else. I'll be gone by tomorrow morning." He pleaded with the two of them. Sirius frowned before walking over to sit next to Remus and slinging his arm around the other boy's shoulders. "Remus, didn't you hear us? It doesn't matter to us that you're a werewolf. You're still our best friend."

"Exactly. We don't give a rat's arse about it. You're a good person and you're our friend. This doesn't change anything, mate." James asserted, daring the werewolf to protest. Frustrated, Remus raked a hand through his hair and stood up, glaring at his two friends. "You don't understand! I'm still going to turn into a monster every full moon. No one was supposed to know about it. I can't stay here anymore."

"Don't you dare talk about leaving, Remus! We won't let you. What part of 'we don't care' do you not understand?" Sirius demanded, the anger evident in his silvery eyes. "How do we put it through your thick skull that we aren't bothered that you're a werewolf? It's not your fault and you can't control it. Will you bloody let it go?" Said James.

It was all too much for Remus. He'd always considered himself lucky to have such great friends and now they had proved him right by accepting his greatest flaw. He looked at both of them, their expression were firmly set. He wasn't going to win this argument (not that he wanted to) "Fine, I won't go."

"You had better not." Sirius threatened him although there was a playful gleam in his eyes. "You hear that, Sirius? Remus is not leaving us. He'll stay and do my homework for the remainder of our years. I'm so happy." James pretended to wipe a fake tear before pounding Remus on the back.

Remus was too happy at that moment to point out that he'd only help him and not actually do it for him. It felt as though a great weight had been lifted off his shoulders. His best friends knew about his transformation and had accepted it. He didn't have to lie or hide from them anymore.

"We'll find a way to help you with your furry little problem." Said James. "I already have that covered." Sirius grinned and pulled out a book from his bag. He tossed it to James and the boy's eyes widened when he read the title: Advanced Transfiguration, Animagus Transformation. "Wicked!" James exclaimed, his eyes shining with excitement.

Remus took the book form James. "No way. Absolutely not. You'll could get into massive trouble. Secondly, it's very difficult."

"Seriously Remus, you need to relax. With Sirius' brains and your help, we'll figure it out in no time at all." James looked pretty confident. They'd do whatever they could to help their friend out.

* * *

Three months later, on the full moon night, a rat, a stag and a huge black dog made their way to the shrieking shack where a wolf was waiting for them.

Sirius had been the first to achieve his Animagus form. James had also done it a week later. It had taken some effort to get Peter to transform but they'd pulled it off. After all, they would do anything for their friend, for each other.

And that's how they became Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs: The Marauders.

* * *

 **I'd been wanting to write this for a really long time. I know I've changed some of the minor details like Sirius's dad's death but I thought it was needed.**

 **Anyway, I hope you readers liked it.**


	6. Off to Hogwarts

**Hey everyone! I'd intended to post this chapter a little earlier but I couldn't find time. Sorry for the delay. Warning: this chapter contains a mention of CP (spanking). If that offends you, please don't read it.**

* * *

Harry opened his eyes, excitement sparkling in them. Today was the day. He didn't care that it was five thirty in the morning and way too early for him to be up. He couldn't go back to bed now, he just couldn't. With a rush of enthusiasm, he threw his bed covers off himself and jumped out of bed.

"Dad! Dad! Wake up. Today's the day!" Harry was grinning like a madman as he threw open the door to his father's room. "Wake up! Wake up, wake up!" Sirius was lying down and smiled when the boy came inside. Harry climbed up on the bed and started jumping. Rolling his eyes at his pup's energy, Sirius sat up and pulled on of Harry's ankles. The pup landed right into his father's waiting arms. "My, my. You've caused quite the racket around here, Mr. Potter." Sirius commented, pulling the child into his lap and wrapping his arms around him. "You promised me that you'd make your special pancakes and French toast the day my Hogwarts letter would arrive." Said Harry, looking eager. "Did I promise to make them at... 5:40 in the morning?"

"Well... no but you did say you'd make them for me." Harry insisted. "Did I now?" On Harry's vigorous nod, Sirius kissed the messy black hair. "Well, in that case, I'd better keep my word."

The two of them went downstairs after a bit where Sirius got to work. He could've asked the house elves to make them but according to Harry, Sirius made the best pancakes in the entire world. As he cooked, Harry chatted animatedly, telling the man all about what he planned to do.

Sirius set the plates down on the table and Harry dug in immediately. "Mmhm. This is amazing. Dad, you're absolutely and undoubtedly the most brilliant person I know." Hard said, his mouth full of pancakes. Normally, the man would've gently scolded the boy to not talk with his mouth full but he felt a rush of affection for his pup. He ruffled Harry's hair lightly before continuing his breakfast.

They were halfway through when they heard the distinct hooting of an owl. Harry nearly fell of his chair in anticipation. "It's here! It's finally here!" The barn owl flew through the window that had been specifically left open for it. It landed smoothly on the table and dropped a letter right next to Harry's plate before promptly flying away.

Harry's emerald green eyes were shining as he reached for the envelope which had the Hogwarts seal on it. He looked up at his dad who smiled at him and nodded encouragingly. Ever so slowly, he pulled the flap open and inside it was a parchment that had been neatly folded. He pulled it out and opened it, a wide smile spreading across his face.

 _HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY_

 _Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore_

 _(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,_

 _Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)._

 _Dear Mr. Potter,_

 _We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment._

 _Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July._

 _Yours sincerely,_

 _Minerva McGonagall,_

 _Deputy Headmistress._

"I got in!" Harry exclaimed, getting off his chair and doing a little happy dance around house. "Of course you did. I'm so proud of you, pup," Sirius looked as happy as Harry as he gathered his son in his arms for a hug.

"We'll have to go shopping now for your belongings now, won't we?" Said Sirius and received an enthusiastic nod in response. "We can go this Saturday and if you want, you can talk to Ron as well so we can all go together."

Yes. Harry smiled to himself. This was going to be totally brilliant.

* * *

"There you are mate!" Let's get a move on." Ron clapped his best friend on the shoulder. The entire Weasley family excluding the oldest two sons had collected outside Madam Malkins'. "Percy's getting new robes this year since he became a prefect." Ron said as they went inside the shop. Harry didn't say anything because he knew how Ron felt about his family's financial situation. He went along with Sirius and had himself measured.

They bought Harry's robes after which they proceeded to Flourish and Blotts. Once the books had been purchased, Harry spotted Quiddictch Supplies. "Dad, can we pleeease go and get a new magazine. Just one more." Harry pleaded. Swallowing his amusement, Sirius raised an eyebrow at his son. "Harry, need I remind you that we bought an entire set only last week?"

At that point Harry was willing to get down on his knees and plead if only to convince his dad. The latest issue had come out yesterday and he really wanted it. Sirius was the longing on his son's face and reluctantly complied. Harry's wasn't a spoilt child by any means. Sure, Sirius bought him things frequently but he treasured every one of them. Ron and his family had to go to the second hand shops to buy their books and robes so they left. Harry didn't want Ron to feel uncomfortable or anything so he didn't go along.

"I suppose it's time for your wand then?" Sirius asked as they walked towards Ollivanders. The little shop was inconspicuously located but they found it easily. The two of them stepped inside and closed the door. The shop was empty but Sirius heard the shuffling of feet somewhere inside. A moment later, a shabby old man dressed in rather worn robes came out of one of the rooms. His face was wrinkled but his silvery eyes were sharp and intelligent although they had a certain kindness about them as well. "Mr. Black, good afternoon sir. Mr. Potter, welcome. I'd expected you'd come by one of these days. Let's test out some of the wands now shall we?"

Ollivander measured Harry's right arm from the elbow to wrist and nodded to himself. Harry tried out a couple of wands but none of them seemed to work out for him. After trying out several of them, he still hadn't found one for himself. "Tricky customer aren't you Mr. Potter?" The wandmaker sighed before going inside. "Dad, none of them are alright. What if... what if I become a squib?" Harry asked worriedly. "Nonsense, pup. You're anything but a squib. Just relax. Mr. Ollivander will get you your wand. Don't you worry." Sirius reassured him.

As of on cue, the old man came back, holding a long thin box in his hand. He opened it and pulled out the wand and held it out to Harry. "Holly and Phoenix feather, eleven inches. Give it a wave."

Harry swished the wand and felt a warmth travel through his arms. He held it up and gold sparks shot out form its end. He felt Sirius squeeze his shoulder with pride and he smiled. Ollivander took the wand from Harry and packed it up, all the while muttering to himself. "How curious, how strange..."

"What's strange?" Sirius asked, a mild frown on his face as he paid for the wand. Ollivander gave Harry a piercing look. "I remember every wand I've ever sold, Mr. Potter. Every single wand. It so happens that the phoenix whose tail feather is in your wand, gave another feather — just one other. It is very curious indeed that you should be destined for this wand when its brother — why, its brother gave you that scar."

Harry felt his father's grip on his shoulder tighten slightly. He looked up to see that Sirius' face was tense. They exited the shop quietly and went back home since they were done shopping. "Voldemort had the same wand didn't he? Before he... disappeared." Harry asked once they were home. "Yes, pup." Sirius replied. "I don't want you to think any further on those words. It doesn't matter kiddo. Just because you've got the same wands doesn't doesn't mean you'll are remotely similar. Do you hear me, Harry James?" Harry nodded, believing Sirius' words completely.

* * *

The morning of first September arrived a little too quickly but at the same time, a little too slowly for Harry's liking. Sirius had helped him pack his trunk the other day and all his possessions required for the school year were safely tucked into it.

Sirius woke him up that morning with a tickle attack. "Get ready and come downstairs. I've got a little something for you." Excited, Harry did as he was told and raced down. He was too eager as well as nervous to eat too much. "What have you got for me?" Harry asked for probably the seventh time. "Come on, I'll show you." Sirius placed his hands over Harry's eyes and led the boy to the living room. He uncovered his eyes and Harry's jaw almost hit the ground at the sight before him.

There, perched inside a cage with her head tucked under her wing was the most beautiful owl Harry had ever seen. It was a snowy owl, her feathers were white with little specs of black here and there. "She's wonderful." Harry whispered. When Sirius gently nudged him forward, Harry opened the cage and lightly stroked her feathers. The owl untucked it's head and looked at him with beady black eyes. He held out his hand and the bird climbed into it. He brought his arm up and she pecked his ear affectionately. "I thought it would be a fitting present." Sirius commented, running his hand through his son's hair.

Harry set the owl back into her cage and hugged his dad. "Thanks, Dad."

"Your welcome pup. Let's get to the station now."

* * *

King Cross station was extremely crowded that day. Sirius had told him all about how to get on to the platform. He found Ron and the other Weasleys along with several other children who'd come with their parents. "Now remember, walk straight ahead. Break into a run if you're nervous." Sirius told Harry.

So, he bent low over the handle of his trolley and jogged at a moderate pace and right into the wall between platforms 9 and 10. He opened his eyes and found himself on platform 9 and 3/4. It looked just the way he'd imagined it. "Like it?" Sirius asked. "I love it." Harry replied. "Just wait till you get to Hogwarts. You'll love it more."

It was then that it hit him with full force. He was going away. He wouldn't be seeing his dad until Christmas. In the four years that he'd lived with Sirius, he'd never been away from the man for that long a time. He was going to miss him. Very much. A lump formed in his throat, followed by another.

Sirius noticed the expression on Harry's face and immediately understood everything. He directed his boy away from the crowd and to a relatively quieter area. He sat down on the bench with Harry doing the same.

"I'm going to miss you." Harry whispered, his voice sounding rather hoarse with unshed tears. "And I'm going to miss you. More than you can imagine, little one." Normally, Harry would've frowned at Sirius for calling him that in public but now, he was too bothered to care. He was going to miss the way Sirius woke him up every morning, the tickle fights that they had, hugs, ruffling of his hair, heck he was also going to miss the times his father scolded him when he did something wrong.

Sirius was also going to miss Harry a lot. He would miss holding his pup every morning, kissing him goodnight, playing Quidditch with him and what not. He told himself that Harry would be home in less than three months but that didn't make him miss his boy any less.

"Now listen to me." Said Sirius wrapping an arm around Harry's shoulders. "I want you to enjoy yourself at Hogwarts alright? You're going to make some of your best memories over there. I know I did. You'll make new friends, explore the place and have the time of your life."

Harry listened before voicing the worry that had been going on in his mind since the last couple of days. "What if I don't get into Gryffindor?" He knew how much his dad was hoping he'd be sorted into the same house that he had. "I know you'll get into Gryffindor, pup. Even if you don't, that's alright. I'll still be immensely proud of you, no matter what house you're sorted into."

Harry felt as though a great weight had been lifted off his shoulders. "Promise you'll write to me?" He asked his dad. "Everyday," the man replied. "One more thing," Sirius' voice had developed a stern edge to it. "A little trouble here and there is perfectly fine but I don't want you to go around endangering yourself. There'll be no mucking up. If I find out that you've been up to anything dangerous, I'll come straight to Hogwarts and tan your hide. Are we clear?" Over the past few years, Harry had received a smacking only a handful of times and that's how he wanted to keep it. Sirius rarely spanked him and if he did, it was always because he'd risked his life or something as grave. The punishment didn't hurt half as much as the disappointment in his dad's eyes so he avoided doing anything that could be classified as 'risky' as often as possible.

Harry realised the seriousness behind Sirius' words and nodded. "Yes, Dad." The man's eyes softened and he tousled the boy's hair.

The clock struck five minutes to eleven and Sirius stood up. "Let's get you onto that train now." The scarlet steam engine had pulled up at the station and there were a lot of goodbye hugs and kisses going around amongst the parents and their children. Sirius helped Harry get his trunk and cage onto the train. This is it. Harry was both happy as well as sad to be leaving. "Here's a little allowance," his Dad gave him a small pouch filled with galleons. "But some treats for yourself on the train, alright?"

Harry accepted the pouch without a word. He was pretty sure that if he said anything now, he'd probably start crying. He couldn't bear it anymore. He threw himself against Sirius' chest, burying his face in it. "Daddy, I don't want to go."

Sirius felt his heart melt. It had been so long since Harry had called him that. After turning ten, he'd felt that he was a 'big boy' so he'd switched to 'dad'. The man hadn't minded of course, but there were times he wished he could go back to when his son was an adorable eight year old. He still loved the boy just as much though. Pulling Harry into a tight embrace, he pressed a kiss to the untameable dark hair. "Yes you do, pup. You'll be home for Christmas, won't you? Three months will fly by and before you know it, you'll be taking this very train back home."

Reluctantly, Sirius pulled away and looked the boy in the eye. "I'll write to you as soon as your sorting is through. You're going to have an absolutely remarkable year at Hogwarts. I love you, pup."

"I love you too." Harry replied. After one last hug, he got inside the train and waved out to Sirius. Promptly at eleven, the train started and got ready to move out of the station. Sirius waved back at him and Harry smiled and waved back till his dad was out of sight.

* * *

 **How was it? So, about the small reference to CP, I don't know if I'll write in any of the coming chapter. Maybe I will, maybe I won't. Those who find it offensive, please don't read it and then flame me. I don't condone violence or child abuse.**


	7. Don't Leave Me

**Lojosmom, thanks for the wonderful idea. I really enjoyed writing this. Hope you all like it.**

* * *

 _No, no, no! This couldn't be happening._ Harry struggled to free himself from Remus' hold. He couldn't be here. His father needed him; he had to be there for him. "Remus let me go!" He demanded, although it sounded more like a plea.

He watched as the healers took Sirius inside the Emergency Healing Room. There was a lot of talking going on around him but Harry had eyes only for the body that lay on the stretcher, immobile, silent and covered in blood. Tears blurred his vision but he couldn't care less. "No, Harry. We're not allowed to go in there. We need to wait out here. It'll all be fine." But, Remus' assurances fell on deaf ears.

"I need to go in there. Dad needs me." Harry pleaded, as he once again tried to wrench himself free. "Harry, he's going to be okay. While he's in there, he needs you stay out here and calm down." Remus said.

It was Harry's worst nightmare coming true. He often had nightmares about Sirius dying and he woke up screaming. His father was always there to comfort him, to assure him that it wasn't real. Except this time, it was different. His horror was completely real and there was no father to comfort him.

"Harry, you listen to me. Sirius is a fighter. He's going to make it. He's not going to let something as small as a failed Auror mission take him down." Remus desperately tried to soothe the boy who was trembling against him. He'd forced his own worries away for Harry's sake. He couldn't afford to break down; not when Harry's condition was like this.

It had all started off with an Auror mission. The department had received a tip regarding the location of a Death Eater meeting. Sirius had decided to go himself, instead of sending a few men. There would be important death eaters present and he wanted to make sure that no one got away. But, one of the Aurors had actually been a traitor. He'd tipped off the Dark wizards and the mission had gone haywire.

Instead of the expected twenty or so death eaters, the aurors had been ambushed by more than seventy of them. It had been a team of fifteen aurors against them all. The mission had been successful despite the betrayal but several aurors had sustained injuries. None as bad as Sirius' though. The head Auror had suffered five broken ribs, a blow to the head, stab wounds and dark spells.

Finally, Remus let go of his arm and Harry slid to the ground. He heard the werewolf talking to one of the healers. "How is he? Will he be alright?" The healer's next words absolutely shattered Harry.

"We're not quite sure, Mr. Lupin. The damage is rather severe."

It was as though a dam had burst inside him. The tears that he'd been holding back all this while, started flowing down his face. The healer had to be wrong. His dad was the strongest person he knew. He couldn't go like this, he just couldn't. He had to get better.

Remus tried to put his arms around the boy who was now openly sobbing; but Harry resisted. "I want Dad." He sobbed. The twelve year old was truly inconsolable. Nobody understood what he was going through. Some felt it was just grief because his godfather was hurt. But, for Harry, it was so much more.

Sirius was the one constant in Harry's life. Whenever there was a problem, it was Sirius who helped him find a way out. When he was hurt, Sirius was the one who held him tightly and chased his nightmares away. It was now that he realised just how much he was attached to the man. The mere thought of losing his father terrified him to the very core. A fresh wave of sobs wracked his body. His shoulders shook hard with the force of the tears that were flowing steadily down his cheeks. He wasn't willing to lose Sirius. Not now, not ever.

Harry couldn't remember the last time he had cried like this. He had turned twelve last week and insisted that he needed to contain his emotions. But now, he was too exhausted to care. He didn't care if people gave him odd looks as he knelt outside the EHR and wept.

"Dad please," he whimpered; although he knew that Sirius wouldn't hear him.

He cried until there were no tears left. His throat felt raw, his eyes hurt, he was sure that his nose was red and his eyes were puffy. But, he didn't care. "Harry?" He looked up to see Remus sitting beside him, his face drawn and tired. "Come on. You need to eat something. You've been sitting here for hours."

Stubbornly, he shook his head. He couldn't go anywhere now. "I'm not hungry. I don't want anything." He replied, lowering his gaze. He heard Remus sigh before the man sat down next to him. An arm came and rested around his shoulders and that made Harry feel even worse.

"Hey, listen to me. What did I tell you? Sirius is one tough man. He's not going to let this defeat him. Kiddo, you need to have faith. We both know how strong he is. He'll be alright. But, while he's in there, you need to take care of yourself. Once he is back to normal and finds out that you didn't eat anything, he'll be upset. With me." Remus let out a short chuckle before continuing. "He's scary when he's mad. I don't want him to kick my arse when he comes to know that I didn't take care of you while he couldn't. Come on now, please?"

With great reluctance, Harry agreed to eat, provided that he came back right after he was finished. The moment Remus set the plate down before him, he picked up the spoon and began to shove the contents down his throat as quickly as possible. "Slow down, kiddo. You'll choke on it if you eat like that." Remus gently pried the fork from Harry's fingers and set it down.

"Take a deep breath. That's it. Nice and slow. Now, eat. Slowly." Harry tried to do as told and controlled his pace. As he was eating, someone approached him. "Mr. Potter, Mr. Lupin," The person greeted in a deep voice. Harry recognised him. He'd met the man once when he had gone to meet Sirius at work. Tall, dark and burly. Kingsley Shacklebolt.

The man's arm was in a sling, there was a bandaid on his forehead; but other than that, he was fine. "I just spoke to the healer. They've managed to stabilise him. He's out of immediate danger." Harry heaved a sigh of relief when he heard that. He wanted to go and punch the other healer who had said that Sirius wouldn't be able to make it. Kingsley noticed this. "Mr. Potter, I've known your godfather for five years. He was the one who helped me get accustomed to my job. I can tell you without an inkling of doubt that he's one of the strongest people I've ever met. The boss will be back to normal sooner than you think." Harry nodded with a dull expression.

"I actually came to tell you that the healers said you may go and see him now. He's in room 239." The words had barely left Kingsley's mouth when Harry shot out of his chair and bolted away, his food forgotten. He heard Remus calling him but he didn't slow down.

He ignored the disapproving stares from the healers as he ran down the corridor. He skidded to a halt in front of the room. With trembling fingers, he opened the door softly and stepped inside.

Sirius was lying on the bed, eyes closed. The gash on his head as well as the stab wounds had been bandaged. Harry was relieved to see that the blood had been cleaned. He had never seen his father like this before and he never wanted to see him here again.

"Dad?" He called out softly, moving to sit on the edge of the bed. There was no response. "Dad?" He tried again but was greeted with the same silence as before. He knew that Sirius was currently unconscious, but that didn't stop him from trying. He wasn't used to seeing his father like this. It didn't matter that he was out of danger. Harry wouldn't be satisfied until Sirius opened his eyes and spoke to him.

"You promised you'd take me to the Puddlemere Quidditch match this weekend. Come on, wake up."

 _No answer._

"You also said that you'd ground me for a month if I snuck off to Ron's in the middle of the night ever again. I'll do it again if you don't stop me right now."

 _No answer._

"Daddy, please." The tears that had ceased only a while ago, returned with full force.

Harry finally gave into the exhaustion sank to the floor when Sirius didn't reply. He drew his knees to his chest and buried his face in them. This was without a doubt, the worst summer of his life. Feeling utterly miserable, Harry cried himself to sleep.

* * *

" _He snores when he sleeps, just like you Lils." Harry heard a man's voice. It sounded somewhat distant and far away. "James Potter, I do not snore." It was a woman now. Their voices sounded vaguely familiar, like he'd heard them somewhere, a lifetime ago. He couldn't exactly make out what they were saying though._

 _He tried to open his eyes. He needed to wake up. "Oh look, he's waking up. No, James. Don't hover over him like that. You'll scare the boy." It was the woman again._

 _His eyelids fluttered open and he slowly sat up, pushing back the comforter. Wait a second. What comforter? The last thing he remembered was falling asleep on the floor, next to his dad's bed. He took in his surroundings and observed that he was in a room, averagely furnished._

 _"Harry?" Only then did he notice the two people before him. No. They couldn't be real. He was dreaming, he had to be. It was the man who had spoken to him. Untameable black hair, hazel eyes and a pair of glasses much like his. The man practically looked like an older version of Harry. Next came the woman. Flaming red hair and almond-shaped green eyes. He was definitely looking at James and Lily Potter._

 _How?_

 _"Harry?" The woman— his mother called his name again. "Mum?" He whispered, not willing to believe his eyes. "Yes, love. I promise you, it really is me." Instinctively, Harry reached out to her and she came immediately and sat down on his bed. He was too shocked to do or say anything. His eyes then flickered towards the man— his father who was standing a little away from him. "Dad?"_

 _Harry had to admit; he found it a little odd to address someone who wasn't Sirius as dad. Even if that person was his biological father. "Hey mate." James greeted._

 _He wasn't able to ask any further questions because, the very next moment, he was engulfed by two pairs of arms. "Oh sweetheart, we are so, so proud of you." Lily's voice sounded comforting and he rested his head on her shoulder, hugging both his parents back. It was like looking into the mirror of Erised but so much better._

 _He remained like that for a few minutes, not wanting to let go. He only pulled away after that because his mind was bursting with questions. "How? How are you here? Is this real? Am I still as–"_

 _"Whoa! One question at a time, mate." James remarked with a laugh. "We don't know how it happened, love. But we're glad it did." Said Lily, stroking Harry's cheek._

 _"We've been watching over you for a while now, Harry. We are so proud of you, love." His mum said. "Yeah. Both you and Sirius. Padfoot won our little bet after all. He became head Auror." James commented, shaking his head with a smile._

 _At the mention of Sirius' name, Harry suddenly sat up straighter. He felt guilty for nearly forgetting about the man when he was in such a condition. "I have to go back. Dad ne—" he abruptly stopped and turned to look at James._

 _He expected to find some anger or hurt since he had referred to Sirius as 'dad' in front of James, but was pleasantly surprised to find only understanding on his face. "I get it, mate. Over the past so many years, Padfoot was the one who fed you, clothed you, taught you how to ride a broom, put you to sleep, told you he was proud of you and even grounded you when you deserved it. If that doesn't sound like a Dad, I don't know what does. He deserves that title more than anyone else." Said James and his sincere expression clearly indicated to Harry that he meant every word of it._

 _James wrapped an arm around Harry's shoulders. "He's going to be alright. And I'm saying this because I've seen him fight off worse. He'll be up and about in no time. Don't you worry."_

 _"I don't want him to leave me." Harry whispered, averting his gaze. "And he won't. Trust me kiddo, he's strong." James reassured Harry. "James is right sweetie. Yes you're worried and its completely understandable. But he'll be fine."_

 _"Now listen, you're going to wake up in a few minutes. We don't know if we'll ever see you again. But, I want you to remember a few things. We love you, kiddo. I'm proud of you, as is Lily." James ruffled his hair playfully before turning serious again. "Tell Padfoot I miss him. A lot. It's not the same without him. Tell old Moony that we miss him too." James said, looking a little teary._

 _"Absolutely. Tell Sirius he's doing a brilliant job, raising you. And remember, no matter what happens, we'll always love you. It doesn't matter what we're not in front of you. The ones who love us never truly leave us. We'll always be watching over you. We love you, both of you." Lily wiped away the tears that had gathered in her eyes._

 _Suddenly, Harry felt drowsy; like as though someone had cast a sleeping charm over him. "You're waking up now sweetheart. Just remember all that we've told you." Lily hugged him again while James kissed his forehead. "We'll miss you." Lily said, he eyes glistening. "He'll miss us too. I'm sure he'll miss me. I'm his favourite adult after all." James said._

 _"Oh I don't think so, James. I have a feeling that spot belongs to Sirius." Lily teased._

 _Their forms started to get blurry. He had one last question before he woke up, for real. "Is this real or is it just going on in my head?" He asked, fighting to stay alert. James smiled at him._

 _"We don't know, son. It is what it is."_

* * *

Harry's eyes shot open and he found himself lying on the floor in St. Mungo's hospital. He quickly got off the floor and climbed up on the bed. He glanced at the clock and saw that it was nearly eleven in the night.

He wondered why no one had tried to wake him or get him to leave. He knew that he wouldn't have left willingly. He presumed that Remus had either gone home or was asleep outside in the waiting area. He went to the bathroom and washed his face before coming back to the bed. He curled up next to Sirius and succumbed to a dreamless sleep.

"Harry? Harry wake up, kiddo. The healers need to check Sirius." He heard Remus talk to him while shaking him awake. But he didn't want to leave his dad's side. "You can come back as soon as they're done. You need to wake up now."

Reluctantly, he sat up and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. He looked at Sirius who was still unconscious and his heart plummeted. He still wasn't awake. He allowed Remus to gently grasp him by the elbow and guide him outside.

For the next few days, it was the same story. The healers would check him, redo the bandages and inject him with the requisite potions. Sirius healed considerably but he was yet to regain consciousness. Harry had been adamant about staying in the hospital until Sirius awoke; but Remus had managed to convince him to go home. But, he still visited Sirius everyday, hoping that his father would wake up. He even spent the nights as well and no amount of persuasion would change his mind. He didn't tell Remus about the dream he had since he wanted Sirius to know about it first.

On one particular day, Harry nearly got into a fight with one of the healers. "Mr. Potter, this cannot continue any further. You block our way every night. We can't do our work efficiently if you stay here. You need to go back home."

Harry glared at the healer. "No. I won't go anywhere until he's awake." The healer seemed to be very close to losing his patience. "Mr. Potter, you're being ridiculously unreasonable. You are a child and under normal circumstances, children aren't allowed to stay the night. We've already broken a lot of rules for you. You need to leave. Now!"

While Harry was arguing with the displeased healer, the occupants of the room were too busy to notice the figure lying on the bed. At first, it was just a twitch of the finger, followed by some minor hand movement. After a few minutes, sharp grey eyes fluttered open.

Sirius was finally awake.

"Mr. Potter, you are being exceedingly difficult!" The healer snapped. "I'm not! I don't want to leave him. You can't make me leave!"

"Pup, will you calm down?"

"No Rem—" Harry abruptly froze at the voice. That definitely hadn't been Remus. Only one person was allowed to call him that. Slowly, almost nervously, he turned to the bed where Sirius was lying down.

The man had pushed himself up a little so he could look at Harry. "Dad?"

Sirius looked at the irate healer and then at Harry. "Healer Grayson, would you be so kind as to give us a few minutes." The healer contained his surprise well and nodded. "Of course." He left the room, leaving Remus, Harry and Sirius to talk.

His father was finally awake. He'd spent the past few nights, curled up next to the man, begging him to wake up. "Come here pup." Sirius beckoned Harry over and without wasting a single moment, he nearly jumped on the bed and threw his arms around Sirius.

"Dad," he mumbled again, feeling the relief wash over him. If Sirius felt any pain from Harry's enthusiastic embrace, he didn't react to it. The boy felt himself shaking, but this time, it was from the realisation that his dad was safe and that he hadn't lost him. "Sshh... it's alright, pup. Just let it out. I've got you now."

For the first time in days, Harry allowed himself to relax and sagged against the man. Sirius kept up a stream of steady reassurances before releasing the boy.

"Look at me, pup. When you were six, I made a promise, didn't I? What did I say?" Sirius asked, gently running his fingers through Harry's hair. "Y-You promised you'd never leave me." Harry replied as he slowly regained composure. "That's right. And have I ever broken any of my promises?" Harry shook his head, meaning it. "That's right. I don't intend to start doing that now. You're stuck with me, kiddo."

Remus observed all this with a smile. He'd always known that Harry and Sirius were close but now, he actually realised what that meant. "Moony old pal, you look like hell." Sirius commented with a grin. Remus rolled his eyes at the statement. Trust Sirius to joke around even while lying on a hospital bed. "Hello to you too Padfoot." Remus replied with a grin of his own.

"Pup, have you been eating properly?" Sirius asked, raising an eyebrow at Harry's pale and tired appearance. "Umm... I well, I have, sort of. Maybe I haven't." He admitted sheepishly. Sirius gave Harry a mildly stern look. "Harry James, I'm not around for one week and you think it's alright for you to go about skipping meals? Absolutely not, young man."

Harry was too happy to be bothered much by the scolding. Sirius was finally getting his strength back. "Oi! Are you listening?" Sirius waved a hand in front of Harry's face. "Yes, Dad. I'm listening." Harry replied, grinning widely. "Good. Now here's what you're going to do. You'll go downstairs and buy yourself the biggest sandwich available along with a glass of pumpkin juice. You'll get the tray back here and eat the whole thing right in front of me. Are we clear?" Sirius asked, unable to keep himself from smiling.

"Sir, yes, sir." Harry gave his father a mock salute before accepting the money that Sirius held out to him. "Right. Off with you then. I expect you back in no less than ten minutes. You can eat and tell me about what you did the entire week." Harry launched himself at the man for another hug before quickly exiting the room.

Sirius noticed Remus' expression of shock. "What?"

"I've been trying to get him to eat one decent meal for the past couple of days. It took me nearly an hour to convince him to eat properly. He never listened. One sentence from you and voila! How?"

Throwing his head back, Sirius let out a bark like laugh.

"He's my pup after all."

* * *

"There, all done. Are you happy?" Harry asked as he finished the last bit of his enormous sandwich. "Elated. Now, I don't want you to do this again." Sirius replied.

As they were sitting and talking, there was a knock on the door. It was Kingsley. "Glad to see that you're awake, sir." The man remarked as he came inside. "Thank you, Kingsley. So, did you find the _traitor_?" Sirius enquired, his voice curling around the last word. "Yes, sir. He's in our custody right now."

"Good. Well you can send in a little warning to him. Tell him that once I'm back, I'll personally see to him." Sirius replied. Kingsley's mouth curved into a somewhat wicked grin. He almost felt sorry for that man who would now incur the wrath of Sirius Black. Almost. "I'll be sure to pass on the message." After that, the man left.

Harry finally told Sirius what he'd been holding back all week. "I had a dream a few nights ago. I saw my parents." He said. Sirius gave him a melancholy smile. "Was it from one of the stories I told you about them?" He shook his head. "They talked to me. They miss you an awful lot. They said that they were very proud of you and that you deserve the title 'dad' more than anyone else. You're a brilliant dad."

Sirius smiled warmly, reached forward and kissed Harry's forehead. "That's only because you're a great kid. Even if you are a little thick skulled at times." He said, winking at the boy.

"Hey! I'm not thick skulled." Harry protested. "Of course you're not."

"Since we couldn't go to the Puddlemere Quidditch match as planned, how about I take you the Chudley Cannons game instead?" Sirius suggested. Harry nodded eagerly, clearly looking forward to it.

"Great. I should be out of here in say two or three days. We'll go for the match, definitely. But, before that, you'll finish at least half of your first year holiday homework." Sirius finished with a smirk.

"Dad! That's not fair."

And just like that, everything turned out absolutely fine.

* * *

 **Tell me you liked it! This is a slightly more serious theme as compared to the one shots I've uploaded so far. I wanted to try this out.**


	8. Watching Over You

**This is a request from JustHarrySirius. The idea was totally brilliant and I really enjoyed writing it. I also plan to update My Godfather soon.**

 **Pure Fluff! Keeping reading.**

* * *

"It's alright, pup. You're doing great. That's it, just like that. " Sirius encouraged the little five year old who gave him a shy smile. It was heartwarming to see the child actually smile after two whole weeks of tears and fright. The man held out his hands and helped Harry walk a bit more. The broken ankle had almost healed fully and the healer had said that it was alright to start walking again.

Harry winced slightly as his foot bent momentarily but determination replaced it quickly. Two weeks back, when Sirius had rescued him, the child had a broken ankle, two broken ribs, a black eye, whip marks across his backside and a twisted wrist. It had taken every bit of Sirius' self restraint to not obliterate those bloody muggles right there.

The relatives had been _severely_ taken care of. Vernon and his wife were rotting in muggle prison while their son had been sent to live with his Aunt Marge.

"Yes, perfect." Sirius said as he pulled the tiny form into his arms, holding the boy securely. Harry tensed out of habit before relaxing. "Don't worry, pup. I'll never hurt you." Sirius had lost count of the number of times he'd said those words in the past few days. But, he didn't care. He'd say them every five minutes if only to eliminate the boy's fear.

Harry had decided within the first four days itself that he liked this man. Although he was still quite afraid of him, he liked a lot of things about him. For example, Sirius gave really good hugs, his voice was nice and soothing and that wasn't even the best part. Harry had lived with him for a while and not once had the man— his godfather hit him! That was the part Harry loved the most.

"Does your foot hurt very much now? Does anything else hurt?" That was another thing that was strange about the man. He kept asking about Harry's health like he cared about him. He'd learnt long ago to never lie to an adult and so he told the truth. "M-My leg is better and my eye also doesn't hurt that much S-Sirius."

"That's good. But?" He knew there was more. "My chest aches a little sometimes." He stated hesitantly. "Mmhm. Don't you worry, little one. We'll make it all better." Sirius reassured him. And Harry believed him.

"Pup, is there anything you want to do after lunch?" Sirius asked as he led the boy to the table. "Can I colour a little? I promise I'll put away everything once I'm finished. Please, Sirius." It hurt the man that Harry pleaded so much for something so small. He picked the boy up and kissed his forehead. "Of course you can."

* * *

"He did that?" Harry asked, his eyes widening. "Oh he did. He wouldn't stop calling her 'little red' until she agreed to kiss him." Sirius said, a nostalgic smile on his face as he remembered his best friend's idiotic antics. "Why did she hate the name so much?"

"I don't know actually. Your mum wasn't all that tall. In fact, she was quite short." Sirius said. "But she was taller than me?" That was the next innocent question. Chuckling, Sirius wrapped his arms around the boy. "Much taller than you. But, I know you are going to grow real tall, aren't you?"

"Mmhm. Then, I'll really be a big boy." Harry replied. "I'm sure you will." Said the man. "So did she kiss him?"

"My, my. You are a curious little one, aren't you? Yes she did. And I swear, James walked around with that dazed smile for nearly a week." "He sounds funny." Harry said. "Oh he was. Now, it's getting late and you need to be in bed."

"But I am in bed." Harry replied with a small grin, pointing towards his pillow and the black plush dog in his arms. "And you are a very good boy, but I am feeling incredibly sleepy. I promised I'd make those snitch shaped pancakes so I need to get some sleep. So do you, pup."

"Okay. But you'll tell me more tomorrow?" Harry asked, using his strongest weapon: large green baby-like eyes. "You bet. Now, goodnight, sleep tight." Said Sirius as he brought the comforter up to Harry's chin. "Goodnight, Sirius." The boy said as he giggled a bit. "Goodnight puppy mine. I love you."

"What if I do something really naughty?" Harry blurted out. "Like what?" Sirius asked. Harry paused for a minute and searched his mind for the naughtiest thing he could think of. "What if I spill my food and break the plate?" Sirius rolled his eyes at that. "Is that the naughtiest act you could come up with? It doesn't matter what you do pup. I'll always love you. You're my little one." Sirius replied, fondly ruffling the child's hair.

The smile he received was bright enough to light up the darkest places on earth. "G'night." Harry mumbled again, closing his eyes. "G'night, kiddo." He placed a small kiss on Harry's forehead and left the room.

* * *

Harry had tried all possible comfortable positions but for the life of it, he couldn't fall asleep. He didn't know why. He still felt rather tired from all the playing and other stuff but he just couldn't get himself to sleep.

He wanted to go to Sirius but at the same time, he wasn't sure. Disturbing someone when they were asleep was a big no at his aunt's house. But, time and again, Sirius had proved that he wasn't like them. Maybe he could go to his godfather. After all, the man had said that he was always welcome.

He glanced at the clock and heaved a sigh of relief. 11:04. This meant that the man was still awake. He didn't need to wake him up! He sat up and pushed the covers off himself and got out of bed. Taking care to not put too much of his weight on his right ankle, he hobbled out of his room and down the stairs.

As expected, he found his godfather sitting in the living room, reading. Sirius noticed Harry before he said anything. "Pup? Did you have a bad dream?" He'd had a few of those in the beginning; but now, they'd stopped. "No. I couldn't fall asleep." He admitted.

"Why not?" Sirius asked as he picked up the child and placed him on his knee. "I don't know. I tried and tried. I hugged padfoot really tight and I thought about all the nice things you say but I couldn't sleep." Sirius listened to all this with a small smile.

"Mmhm. I have a really great idea, little one. I was planning to go upstairs in a bit and sleep. How about we both go to my room, have some hot cocoa and I'll read you a story. How's that sound?" Harry's eyes widened at the offer. Back at the Dursleys, he was always locked in his cupboard, starving, hurt, cold and with a full bladder. He couldn't go out and he was too afraid to ask. He normally ended up crying himself to sleep.

"Yes please, Sirius." He replied. This was just too amazing! Ten minutes later, the two of them were settled on Sirius' bed with a steaming mug of cocoa in their hands. Sirius helped Harry to slowly sip his drink. "So, which story tonight?" He inquired as he leaned against the headboard and pulled the boy into his lap. "Rabbity-Babbity," Harry replied. "Rabbity-babbity? Little one, we've already read that story twice this week." Said Sirius with an amused expression on his face.

"Please, Sirius. It's my favourite." Sirius was sure that those green eyes could melt anyone's heart. "Alright, kiddo. You know, this reminds me of something similar. I used to take care of you very often, when you were a baby. Pup, you were so little back then, the cutest thing in the world."

"But you said that I was little even now." Harry pointed out, albeit shyly. "Of course you are. It doesn't matter whether you are five or twenty five; you'll still be my little pup." Sirius replied, turning Harry around so he was facing him. "Promise?" The man nodded. "So anyway, when you were _really_ little, practically tiny, I took care of you a lot."

"Sometimes, in fact many a time, your parents had a tough time putting you to bed. You absolutely refused to go to sleep." He began, thinking about so many such days. "Did that mean I was bad?" The worry in Harry's voice tugged at his heartstrings. "Of course not, pup. You were the sweetest and most adorable little bundle ever."

Harry blushed at the praise and leaned against his godfather's chest. "So how would I sleep? Was it magic?" He asked as a small yawn escaped him. Sirius chuckled fondly before carding his fingers through the untameable black mop. "I guess you could say it was magic."

 _June, 1981_

 _Lily Potter held her eleven-month-old son in her arms and rocked him gently, desperately trying to get him to sleep. "I've tried every possible trick but he just won't stop crying." She told her husband. "Maybe he's hungry?" James suggested. "I fed him only a while ago. His nappy has also been changed but he isn't willing to sleep."_

 _Both of them had been taking turns to get their son to sleep but it was utterly in vain. The tot simply refused to do so. "Here, let me try." James stood up and took Harry from Lily's arms and cradled the baby. "Come on, mate. You really need to get to sleep. Your mum and I have things to do and she won't let me do them until you are fast asleep." He said, with a mischievous wink at Lily._

 _She gave him that smile of hers although there was a tinge of red on her cheeks. "Don't start corrupting him already! He's not even a year old."_

 _"You wound me, Mrs. Potter. When have I ever done anything that's remotely against the rules?" He asked with a hand on his chest. She rolled her eyes at him although she was amused. "So when's Sirius coming back?" She asked._

 _"Tomorrow, probably. There were quite a few death eater hideouts, so he insisted on going himself, along with a few others. " James replied. "Well I do hope he's alright. You can never be too prepared when it comes to death eaters." She said, a worried expression on her face. Truth be told, she had grown incredibly fond of him over the past few years. She loved him like a brother._

 _"Don't worry, Lils. This is Sirius that we're talking about. It's the death eaters who should watch out. I've seen him take down several of them, singlehandedly. Man, he can fight. He'll be back in no time at, little Red." She sent him a deadly glare at that. "Stop calling me that. You are just impossible."_

 _"Aww come on, Lils. You love me anyway." During their little conversation, Harry had stopped crying and was looking at them with his wide green eyes. "He's not yet asleep." James groaned. Just then, the doorbell rang and Lily went to answer it. She pulled out her wand, just in case. Her face broke into a relieved smile and she lowered her wand. Their location was completely secure and no one knew about it other than a mere handful of people._

 _"Sirius!"_

 _"Hello, love." He replied, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "How come you're back early? We weren't expecting you until tomorrow." She said. "We managed to wrap this mission up quickly, Lily. Just glad it's over now. Where's my idiot friend?" He asked with a smirk as they went inside. "Hey, I'm in here and I can hear you!" James protested as he walked in with Harry in his arms. The baby seemed very excited the moment he saw Sirius. He placed one hand squarely on James' glasses, as if to push him away and reached the other one out to Sirius._

 _The man indulged his beloved godson immediately. "Yes pup, I've missed you too." He cooed as the three of them went inside. Harry buried his face into his godfather's chest and then made some sounds. Sirius inclined his head and nodded thoughtfully, pretending to understand every word. "I know pup, it must have been really difficult for you."_

 _"What was that? Your daddy snores? Yes, that's very true. I'd know, wouldn't I?" He said with a wink at the parents. "Now, don't you worry. Padfoot's back and we'll have loads of fun together."_

 _"I do NOT snore!" James protested. "Lily, do I snore?" He asked. "Loud enough to awaken the entire neighbourhood." She replied with a smirk. "Haha. You can have a laugh at my expense, you two. I'm going to bed." He replied although he wasn't actually angry. "Don't be such a drama queen, Prongs. Look, you're setting a bad example for Harry." Said Sirius, pointing at Harry who looked perfectly content, against his godfather._

 _"Fine. Lily and I've taken a lot of turns in getting the little guy to sleep. It's your chance now. Be prepared to face the toughest job of your life." Sirius rolled his eyes at the exaggeration. "Nah. This baby here is really innocent and secondly, he loves his godfather. Of course he'll listen to me."_

 _"Come on, pup. Let's go upstairs." Leaving a smiling couple behind, Sirius carrier the toddler up the stairs while Harry kept making a small noise every now and then. Instead of going to the room, Sirius went straight to the roof and sat down there._

 _It was a clear sky, absolutely no clouds. The sky was dotted with stars here and there. "See that, pup? Those are the stars. Wherever you go, they'll always be there, lighting up the world." He said, gently rubbing Harry's back. "Pa! Pa!"_

 _"Yes, pup. Padfoot's right here and he'll always be with you." The promise was more to himself than Harry. "See that? That's Sirius: the brightest star in the sky. It was hard to believe that this very man who mercilessly tore down death eaters, could turn so mushy when it came to his baby godson._

 _"So that star; Sirius is bright enough to look into every corner of this world and watch over everybody. The star is particularly fond of a certain black haired baby with the most vibrant green eyes ever. Now, all you need to remember is that no matter what happens, I will always protect you, be there when you need me and even when you think you don't."_

 _The low hum of Sirius' voice coupled with the steady thump of the man's heartbeat had Harry nodding off within seconds. With one tiny fist, he gripped the front of his godfather's robes firmly, refusing to let go. Even in his sleep, the eleven-month-old trusted Sirius to keep him safe._

 _"You will be safe with me, no matter what. Always and forever."_

"So that's what it went like. James and Lily were so surprised when they saw that I had successfully put you to sleep. After that day, I was the only one who was assigned the task of putting you to sleep, whenever you didn't want to." He cleared his throat and pushed down the sadness that had welled up inside him. "So, how about that story now? Rabbity Babbity? Pup? Harry?"

He looked down and a soft smile touched his lips. Harry had curled up against Sirius's chest and was blissfully asleep. Five years had passed but somethings would never change. He didn't want them to. Carefully, so as to not jostle the sleeping child, he pushed himself into a more comfortable position and drew the comforter over both of them. Smiling fondly, Sirius kissed his pup's messy hair and closed his eyes.

"I love you, pup."


End file.
